Integrated radio telecommunications network and method of interworking an ANSI-41 network and the general packet radio service (GPRS)

Abstract

An integrated radio telecommunications network which integrates an ANSI-41 circuit switched network and a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) packet data network to support a mobile station which operates in both the ANSI-41 network and the GPRS network. An interworking function interfaces a mobile switching center (MSC) in the ANSI-41 network with a serving GPRS switching node (SGSN) in the GPRS network by mapping circuit switched signaling utilized by the MSC into GPRS packet switched signaling utilized by the SGSN, and mapping GPRS packet switched signaling into circuit switched signaling. An interworking GPRS base station controller interfaces the SGSN with a GPRS / ANSI-136 base station which supports both ANSI-136 operations and GPRS operations. The interworking GPRS base station controller adapts the traffic signaling format utilized by the SGSN into an air interface traffic signaling format utilized by the GPRS / ANSI-136 base station. An authentication center interface passes the authentication state of the mobile station between an ANSI-41 home location register / authentication center (HLR / AC) in the ANSI-41 network, and a GPRS home location register / authentication center (HLR / AUC) in the GPRS network.

Description

1. Technical Field of the InventionThis invention relates to telecommunication systems and, more particularly, to an integrated radio telecommunications network which interworks circuit switched services and packet switched services, and to a method of interworking an ANSI-41 radio telecommunications network and the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) packet data network.2. Description of Related ArtTwo approaches to data switching are circuit switching and packet switching. Plain old telephone service (POTS) and cellular voice services, for example, use circuit switching. Fixed circuit switching paths are set up between the parties involved in a call by exchanging signaling messages which contain the parties' addresses and request the establishment of a physical switching path. The signaling messages are exchanged between the addressees and switching centers, and between switching centers. The switch(es) respond to the requests in the signaling messages by establishing the physical...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Each service or user utilizes only the bandwidth it needs, leaving the unused bandwidth for other services / users.

However, the GPRS standard addresses interworking requirements for GSM, but does not address interworking requirements for radio telecommunications networks based on ANSI / TIA standards such as those utilized throughout most of North America.

Therefore, an operator cannot benefit from the advantages and flexibility that packet switching provides when the operator is providing Internet access to subscribers utilizing ANSI-41 / 136-based cellular networks.

This solution does not provide the benefits of multiplexing over the air interface and through circuit switching facilities since dedicated resources are utilized for the duration of the Internet connection.

This is very inefficient since, in a typical Internet connection, packets of data are not continuously being sent over the connection.

Thus, a voice channel over the air interface is tied up for the duration of the Internet connection, and associated circuit-switched resources over the network are not optimally utilized.

The existing solution is also not very flexible in terms of packet data network access because only one connection can be made at a time.

It is not possible to make multi-party call connections for data calls in the way that multi-party voice connections can be made.

Thus, simultaneous circuit switched voice and data services cannot be provided while connected through a circuit-switched connection to the Internet.

Additionally, the user cannot originate voice calls during a data call because the data call is circuit-switched between the mobile station and the Internet access gateway.

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